# Loose stem fix?



## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

The stem on my MM Missouri Pride fits very loose. Is there a fix for this? Tape around the stem maybe? It's loose enough that it wants to rotate almost every time I handle it

TIA.


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

I bet a little tape would work but for the price of a cob you could always just buy another one.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

A couple coats of clear fingernail polish should do the trick.


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

GoJohnnyGo said:


> I bet a little tape would work but for the price of a cob you could always just buy another one.


True, but it's the principle of it 



Commander Quan said:


> A couple coats of clear fingernail polish should do the trick.


After the underwear incident I'm not sure my wife will let me near her things again. But it might be worth the risk LOL.


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## GoJohnnyGo (Nov 19, 2011)

I couldn't agree with you more about the principle of fixing things instead of just tossing them out. I'm glad you found a useful (and free) method to try.


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## dgerwin11 (Jun 19, 2011)

Has it set somewhere where the shank could have dried too much? Sometimes the moisture absorb by smoking will swell it a little and make things right. I have used black electrical tape to hold a cob together. Nail polish works too. And in a pinch, a little bit of paper wrapped around the tenon snugs things up right nice.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

You could just glue the bit into the stem and call it a day.


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

dgerwin11 said:


> *Has it set somewhere where the shank could have dried too much? * Sometimes the moisture absorb by smoking will swell it a little and make things right. I have used black electrical tape to hold a cob together. Nail polish works too. And in a pinch, a little bit of paper wrapped around the tenon snugs things up right nice.


Yes...it's the one I smoke in my car and it pretty well stays there. It get's very hot during the day at work.



Commander Quan said:


> You could just glue the bit into the stem and call it a day.


Good idea, but I think I would still want to be able to take the stem out to clean it.


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## Thirston (Feb 2, 2011)

Did someone already say natural bee's wax? Seem's to be the
standard fix and works for me on briar's. Craft stores carry the natural 
stuff as people make candles out of it.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

*raises hand in the back*

We're talking about the _stock_ plastic stem on a cob, right? Has it always been loose? Or progressively loosened over time?

I have a couple of Forever Stems, but I still use the stock plastic stems on a few cobs. Over time, the tenon wears and shrinks, causing them to fit loose. I have no idea why they do this, it seems illogical, but they do in fact shrink! Usually, by the time they get loose enough to annoy me (many bowls and cleanings over a few months), I've dug some pretty heavy tooth marks in the stem, so I replace them. Replacement stems are only 50 cents!

On all filter cobs, I recommend buying the "Danish" stem. Same price, .50 cents, but the Danish bits are nicer - they look nicer, are slightly heavier and more robust. All of my cobs are bent, and I can tell you from experience that the Danish bent stems are also easier to clean than the regular bent bits....on the regular ones, the pipe cleaner always gets stuck at the bend, but not so with the Danish!

Link to replacement stems - Smoking Pipe Bits - Missouri Meerschaum Company


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

gahdzila said:


> *raises hand in the back*...
> I have a couple of Forever Stems, but I still use the stock plastic stems on a few cobs. Over time, the tenon wears and shrinks, causing them to fit loose.


I'm surprised the replacement bit fixes the problem. I have some extras, unused, because of the Forever stem, and noticed just the other day that my Country Gentleman will no longer accept the stem that came with it. I think the Forever stem stretched out the shank in this case, though. I thought it would have been the shank end wearing down or drying out or whatever in this case too, but I guess not.


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

Yes, it's the stock plastic stem on a cob and has definitely loosened over the few months I've had it. Being inside a hot car all day certainly hasn't helped, although I'm now bringing it inside with me. I'll try the clear nail polish trick first (only because I still have some left from another project). Thanks for the heads up on the Danish stems, I didn't know that. Off to look closer at the Forever Stem as well.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

freestoke said:


> I'm surprised the replacement bit fixes the problem. I have some extras, unused, because of the Forever stem, and noticed just the other day that my Country Gentleman will no longer accept the stem that came with it. I think the Forever stem stretched out the shank in this case, though. I thought it would have been the shank end wearing down or shrinking in this case too, but I guess not.


My only guess is that I religiously clean them with everclear soaked pipe cleaners, and the everclear somehow dissolves part of the plastic stem, and it shrinks from the inside out. It's a wild guess (and if it is true, it might be a different issue from Gregg's), but it's the only thing I can come up with. They do shrink, though...no doubt. Brand new ones always fit tighter than old used ones for me.

I think the Forever Stems are a hair larger than the stock stems, because they always seem to fit tighter. The shanks seem to eventually stretch to accommodate them to a nice fit, though.

I believe the shanks do move, they shrink and expand, depending on what stem you use and how dry they are. So this could be part of Gregg's issue as well, if he's leaving it in a hot car and the shank gets much dryer than it would otherwise. Does it tighten up as you smoke it, Gregg?


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

gahdzila said:


> ... Does it tighten up as you smoke it, Gregg?


Yes, it tightens back up a bit.


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## mikev (Oct 8, 2012)

Did the nail polish trick work? I have a Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo that sat in the car too long and has a very loose stem.


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## gahdzila (Apr 29, 2010)

mikev said:


> Did the nail polish trick work? I have a Savinelli Punto Oro Corallo that sat in the car too long and has a very loose stem.


Mike, I had a Dr Grabow Big Pipe that the stem was getting very loose on. I tried the clear nail polish trick on it, and it worked GREAT! I just did the fix a day or two ago, and haven't smoked the pipe yet, so I can't say if the nail polish fix will last long or not.

I would try smoking the pipe a few times first. It may be that the wood dried and shrank from sitting in your car, and a smoke or two will swell it back up enough to snug it back up.


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## Steel Talon (Mar 2, 2010)

Gregg, Try some teflon thread tape.. It'll work just fine.

Good Karma
Tal~


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## mikev (Oct 8, 2012)

gahdzila said:


> Mike, I had a Dr Grabow Big Pipe that the stem was getting very loose on. I tried the clear nail polish trick on it, and it worked GREAT! I just did the fix a day or two ago, and haven't smoked the pipe yet, so I can't say if the nail polish fix will last long or not.
> 
> I would try smoking the pipe a few times first. It may be that the wood dried and shrank from sitting in your car, and a smoke or two will swell it back up enough to snug it back up.


Great, thanks for your advise!


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

I've tried both the nail polish and tape trick. Of the 2, the clear polish has worked the best.


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## steinr1 (Oct 22, 2010)

For any thermoplastic material stem, perhaps not acrylic and definitely not bakelite ones, carefully heating the tenon until very warm (I use a lighter - rotating the stem above the flame) will soften it a touch. Then press firmly straight down on the end of the tenon onto a flat solid surface. Hold, pressing down, until it cools. This will expand the tenon permanently. Repeat if not tight enough.

The risk is that you overheat and ruin the stem entirely. Several unsuccessful attempts with the tenon not warm enough is much better than one badly botched attempt. 

It's worked for me several times.


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## mcgreggor57 (Nov 3, 2011)

steinr1 said:


> For any thermoplastic material stem, perhaps not acrylic and definitely not bakelite ones, carefully heating the tenon until very warm (I use a lighter - rotating the stem above the flame) will soften it a touch. Then press firmly straight down on the end of the tenon onto a flat solid surface. Hold, pressing down, until it cools. This will expand the tenon permanently. Repeat if not tight enough.
> 
> The risk is that you overheat and ruin the stem entirely. Several unsuccessful attempts with the tenon not warm enough is much better than one badly botched attempt.
> 
> It's worked for me several times.


 Hmmm...might need to try this. I've got several other new stems if I do ruin it. Thanks for the tip.


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